"Camp didn't just bring me closer to my own family — it gave me a new one"

Growing up the middle child in a family of five children, longtime YMCA camper Megan says she didn't always feel independent and unique, and often quarreled with her sisters. That changed with her first trip to YMCA Camp:

I first came to camp when I was about 6 years old. My older sisters had gone for several years, and I was eager to see what all the excitement was about.

My first counselor was named Josie, and I had the time of my life that week. What was interesting was the drastic change in my relationship with my older sisters. We all went during the same week, and during that time it seemed like I couldn't get enough of them.

With independence that I had never had before, I was able to try my own things and make my own friends, not assisted by teachers, parents, neighbors or siblings. Seeing my sisters as I roamed the grounds with my new friends was a treat, not only for me but for them as well. There's a bond among siblings that is irreplaceable, but sometimes hard to find. Camp helped us find and foster that bond.

Now, 12 years later, my sister and I (the one I always fought with) are best friends. My other sister and I are much closer than we would have ever been as well. When I was old enough to receive leathers, I chose one of my sisters to tie my first, the triangle, and the other one to tie the second, the square.

Camp didn't just bring me closer to my own family — it gave me a new one. Every year, I meet new people and make new friends. As people come and go over the years, the Y Camp spirit remains and is the underlying theme in every camper's experience.